1. International students Visit and exchange programmes Exchange Student Programme

Exchange Student Programme

The Exchange Student Programme is designed for international students who wish to spend a period at the University of Pisa to attend courses or participate in a traineeship programme, based on a non-Erasmus inter-university or inter-departmental agreement.

Students interested in mobility within the Erasmus+/Erasmus programme should instead consult the dedicated pages and portal .

In order to attend courses in Italian, it is recommended to have at least a B1 level of language proficiency, unless otherwise stipulated in the agreements.

Who can participate

To participate in the programme, you must be a student enrolled at a foreign university with which the University of Pisa has a bilateral agreement.

Period of stay at the University of Pisa

The period of stay of exchange students at the University of Pisa must refer to that provided for in the relevant agreement.

Deadlines

Submitting an application is always possible but, in order to attend the courses, it is important to remember that the academic calendar is divided into two semesters:

First semester – September to February
Second semester – February to July

To enable the Department to process the letter of acceptance to the programme within the necessary technical timeframe, it is advisable to submit the application:

  • by 31 May to attend courses in the first semester or in the entire academic year
  • by 31 October to attend courses in the second semester

Application procedure for the exchange programme

Prior to departure

Contact the International Office of your relevant foreign university to check for any agreements with the University of Pisa or the Department of interest.

If it is possible to activate mobility, choose the courses you want to take from those available in the educational offer of the University of Pisa.

To apply, you must send your application to exchange@unipi.it:

When your application request is accepted, you will receive an acceptance letter from the academic staff of the department of the University of Pisa with which your university has an agreement.

Coming from a Non European or Schengen Country

After receiving the acceptance letter and before applying for an italian visa, you must pre-register on the UniversItaly portal.

To pre-register on Universitaly:

  • sign up
  • choose the University of Pisa for the exchange period
  • upload the acceptance letter
  • choose the Italian Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for the visa.

Do not indicate your tax code, if you do not have one, and the ID of the chosen university.

When your application is validated by the University, you will receive a notification from the portal and you will find the Summary in PDF at the bottom of your UniversItaly page. Only then you can apply for a visa at the Embassy, attaching the previously printed Summary. For any further information, please contact the Italian Embassy in your country of residence. Once arrived in Italy, you must apply for a residence permit within 8 working days of the arrival. All information is available on the dedicated web pages for international students reception.

Already in European or Schengen Country

You can enter Italy without an Italian visa, for a stay longer than 90 days, as long as the following applies:

a) have the acceptance letter;

b) your study residency permit, issued by the EU or Schengen country is valid for the duration of your stay in Italy.

Once arrived in Italy, within the first 8 working days, you must go to the Questura (Police) in via San Francesco 8 – between 12pm (noon) and 1pm – and fill in the “dichiarazione di presenza” (declaration of presence).  To fill it, you must have the entry date stamp on your passport when you enter Italy OR the travel ticket of your arrival in Italy.
If missing the entry stamp/travel ticket, you will have to apply for the residence permit.

Procedure for enrolling at the University of Pisa as an exchange student

Create your online account on the Alice Portal.
Once you have obtained your credentials, proceed with the application to the Exchange Programme 2025–2026.

In the menu on the right, select International Mobility and Summer School, then click on Application Form for incoming students and follow the instructions.

Remember to upload the following documents to the Alice Portal:

  • copy of your identity document – passport for non-EU citizens
  • italian visa if you come from a Non European or Schengen Country and copy of the post office receipt proving the submission of the residence permit request
  • European study residence permit, if you come from a EU/Schengen Country
  • acceptance letter from the host department

Rights, obligations and services

Exchange students:

  • are entitled to take exams and obtain credits without paying university fees. At the end of the study period, they will receive a certificate for the work carried out
  • must independently arrange their stay in Pisa (food, accommodation, healthcare, etc.);
  • have access to the same services as the students enrolled at the University of Pisa (enrolment in language courses at the University Language Centre, access to university libraries, IT services and university canteens)